A draft tourism strategy for the region to be unveiled next week contains a suggestion to have the beach strip from Anna Bay to One Mile declared a surfing reserve.

Other suggestions include establishing an adventure playground at Lemon Tree Passage and developing the Murrook Centre at Williamtown as a major tourist attraction.

The draft strategy says Port Stephens is considered oversupplied with accommodation for 11 months of the year, and that the highly seasonal market needs an overhaul.

Addressing seasonality requires Port Stephens to diversify, targeting markets that will travel outside peak times, the strategy said.

The most effective way is to use the area's assets, facilities and infrastructure to build special interest and activity-based markets, in conjunction with group markets and events.

The strategy also said significant changes had occurred in the region's peak-season market, traditionally dominated by holidaying families.

Over the past decade the length of [family] stay has been decreasing, from three to four weeks, down to seven to 10 days.

In an attempt to attract extra visitors, the region's tourism body will market Port Stephens to ethnic communities in Sydney and try to attract backpackers through social networking websites.

The draft strategy suggests a strategic alliance with the Newcastle Visitors and Conference Bureau to bring conferences to the region. Port Stephens could become a low-cost alternative to Hunter wine country for conferences.

If the proposal to dedicate a surfing reserve between Anna Bay and One Mile is accepted, the stretch would become the seventh such site in NSW. Merewether Beach was declared a surfing reserve last year.